Northern Bruce Peninsula is going after some funding from the county to install new bike racks.
Council approved applying to the Spruce the Bruce Funding Program for 10 bike racks during a meeting on March 25.
CAO Peggy Van Mierlo-West says, “staff are providing an application to Spruce the Bruce for the purchase of new bike racks throughout the municipality. That is our one concern tourists provide us on an annual basis, that they would like to see more bike racks within our public spaces.”
If successful, the bike racks would be installed at community centres, libraries, harbours, and downtown cores across Tobermory and Lion’s Head, as well as the airport.
The Spruce the Bruce program helps local businesses, municipalities and community partners by providing various grants to improve the look of facades, and signage, as well as install patios, business accessibility features, and more.
The program supports 50 per cent of total project costs up to $10,000, and the proposed bike rack project will costs $20,000.
A report from Parks and Facilities Manager Mark Coleman says, “infrastructure that supports the parking, security and use of bicycles, promotes healthy active living, and increases active transportation that helps to reduce green house gas emissions.”
This is not the first time the municipality is going after funding from this program. Last year, Northern Bruce Peninsula secured funding for new water reservoir hanging flower baskets and street planters in Tobermory and Lion’s Head.
Van Mierlo-West says they plan to continue making use of the funding program in the future.
“It’s always a great partnership with Bruce County and we will be looking at things such as planter boxes, self-watering planter boxes, all that good stuff,” says Van Mierlo-West.
Businesses who would like to apply to the Spruce the Bruce program can visit the county website here.